Libya, EU discuss strengthening border protection in EUBAM's 7th mandate

Tripoli: The Libyan Foreign Ministry and the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya (EUBAM) discussed the second half of the mission's 7th mandate on bolstering Libya's capabilities in protecting its borders.

At the meeting on Tuesday, both sides "engaged in a constructive dialogue" based on a comprehensive review of the mission's undertakings and agreed on commonly defined priorities, the EUBAM said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two sides lauded "the positive results of the interagency cooperation and interaction within the framework of the sub-working groups" on land and maritime borders as well as organised crimes, it said.

In May 2013, the EU Council gave the green light for the EUBAM to support the Libyan authorities in bolstering the security of Libya's borders.

The EUBAM's core mandate is to contribute to enhancing the capacity of the Libyan authorities and agencies to manage Libya's borders, fight cross-border crime including human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and combat terrorism. On June 26, 2023, the EU Council extended the mandate until June 30, 2025.